December 2016

COMMITTEE REPORTS

ARC (Appraisal Review Committee): Met November 21.  Discussed CHTU’s SLO survey results.  We will find out how many SLO growth targets are not approved.  We discussed the merits of using vendor assessments instead of SLOs for next year.  First we will need to determine how many teachers will be using state tests that have value added.  This may change things.  Next meeting December 12.

Cuyahoga County Educators Summit (CCES) – meeting planned for January 12.

DLT (District Leadership Team):  DLT met November 16.  Looked at building discipline data.

ER&D: We need more people to take Managing Anti-Social Behavior, every Wednesday from January 4 to March 8 from 4:15 to 7:15 or it may not run.

INSURANCE: Nothing new since November 2 meeting.

MASTER TEACHER:  nothing new

MOBILIZATION: 
 

November Service Project – Hat and glove drive.  There should be a coordinator in each building to collect items for distribution to students from the school who are in need.

December Service Project – each school is encouraged to adopt a family and decide how to help them around the holidays.

RETIREMENT:  nothing new. 

SOCIAL:  Save the date – May 5 for our spring social at Nighttown.

SUMMIT: Met for lunch December 6.  Next meeting is January 13.

TRANSITIONAL WORK PROGRAM:  nothing new 

1. Negotiations – We have been publishing information to members and plan to have building meetings to answer questions the week of December 12.

2. Heights Coalition for Public Education – Met October 19 and November 29.
   1. January 19 - we will host a forum night.  Dr. Karl Wheatley will present. Flyer and reading available at http://chuh.net/coalition/events-and-actions/  Teachers are encouraged to attend.
   2. Education Inc. – we are trying to find some people to coordinate a showing of this movie.
   3. Charter Walk -  planning to talk to families that have chosen to send their students to charter schools and give them information so they will consider attending our schools next year.  Teachers partnered with other community members would be ideal for this project.

3. Listening Project 2016-17  - probably starting after winter break.  Rego and Frost will organize training and recruitment.

4. Grievance:  Personnel files – a grievance has been filed on November 15, 2016 because the Assistant Superintendent of HR and Operations has placed materials in personnel files in a manner that does not comport with the contract.  Met November 30. Denied December 7.  We have 5 days to decide what to do.

5. Fact-Findings  -
   1. A tenured Intervention Specialist who is on an intervention plan had a fact-finding November 3 on grounds that the member is unprepared for class because no plans are left when the member is absent, not using district curricular materials, and allowing too many break periods during transitions.  Awaiting a disposition.
   2. A teacher was called into a fact-finding November 18 regarding parent complaints.  An official reprimand was issued December 5.
   3. A member was called into a fact-finding on November 16 because the member did not disclose 3 misdemeanor tickets that he received 20 to 25 years ago.  The member believed these were traffic-type tickets and therefore not necessary to report.  An official reprimand was issued December 6.
   4. A member was called into a fact finding on November 18 for allegedly not documenting interventions and parent contacts.  Awaiting a disposition.
   5. A monitor was called to a fact finding on November 21 based on a parent statement.  Awaiting a disposition.
   6. A member was called into a fact finding on November 28 based on a statement from a colleague.  The issue was dismissed with no finding.
   7. A member was called into a fact finding on December 2 for being late to school. A written warning will be issued.

6.  Early Childhood – a member who teaches in the early childhood program was told that she must be fully licensed by the end of July 2017.  Having been in the lead teacher position for over a year we were unaware that she needed to have these requirements.  It may not be possible to finish by this deadline.  In the meantime, the District has offered recall to a teacher who was laid off to place in the classroom so that a licensed teacher will be in the class.  We responded to a proposed memorandum of understanding from the District that we believe would have given up our member’s rights based on language that is in our contract regarding the transition of all Early Childhood educators into our bargaining unit in 2014.